Sunan Gunung Jati Tomb, Cirebon

Sunan Gunung Jati Tomb in Cirebon was visited just a few moments after leaving Batik Cirebon Jaya Abadi store at the famous Trusmi Batik area on our first day trip in Cirebon, West Java. Location of gate of the Sunan Gunung Jati Tomb is situated about 100 m from roadside of Jl. Raya Sunan Gunung Jati, Astana Village, to the north from Cirebon City.

Sign of Sunan Gunung Jati Tomb at parking lot was surrounded by disrupting view of electric and telephone cables. It is unclear as to when they will be buried. Here the tourists will be approached by tour guide, dressed in traditional clothing, and guide to tomb gate, unless visitors refuse it. There is no particular rate to for these guides.

Before passing through rather neglected of East Gate, we passed by Balemangu Majapahit which was a wedding present when Sunan Gunung Djati married Nyi Mas Tepasari, daughter of prominent Ki Ageng Tepasan, a Majapahit royal dignitary. On another day I visited the place, at almost at every gate there's a person thrusting donation box.

Other than Balemangu Majapahit hall, within the Sunan Gunung Jati Tomb complex there is also Balemangun Padjajaran hall which was a gift from King Siliwangi on the coronation of Syarif Hidayatullah (Sunan Gunung Jati) as Sultan of Kasultanan Pakungwati (before later becoming Keraton Kasepuhan, or Kasepuhan Palace).

Every visitors, or their representatives, will be requested by guards on duty to fill in the tomb guestbook and give undefined donation at the above halls named Paseban Bekel and Paseban Kraman. You can give any amount of money at the hall, but normally you will see 50K and 100K on the donation box as suggested bait to the visitors.

At the wall of the hall, footsteps, and other walls you will see beautiful Chinese ceramics. Two ornaments of prawn are attached to the wall, among calligraphic ornaments on a golden round piece of metal. Chinese influences can also be seen with the availability of hiolo, bowl for placing hior (incense) at several places in Sunan Gunung Jati Tomb.

The white colored high wall at this particular area of Sunan Junung Jati tomb complex is almost fully covered by authentic Chinese ceramics with beautiful and colorful precious stones. Quite impressive. Behind the beautiful white wall covered with the ceramics there is Pangeran Radja Sulaeman tomb, The Elder Sultan IX of Cirebon Sultanate.

The ceramic plate and the smaller rounded shapes surrounding it at the Sunan Gunung Jati tomb compound, according to a legend was brought by Princess Ong Tien Nio, Sunan Gunung Djati's wife from mainland China. The colors of those hundreds years of age of the ceramics are still bright and it seems that they were all well maintained. The tomb of Sunan Gunung Jati himself is located at top of Mount Sembung. For security and several other reasons, the tomb can only be visited by family members of royalty, and diginitary guets. But there are rumors that commoners can also visit this place by paying certain amount of money to the guards.

The area In front of Lawang Pisujudan (Pasujudan Door) Sunan Gunung Jati Tomb is the common place for visitors to gather in a group to do dhikr and pray, whether to honor Sunan Gunung Jati as one of the prominent members of Wali Songo (Nine Saint), or because they have certain wishes and they come to ask for the Sunan's blessing.

A man by hugging his partner was seen standing quite long while putting one of his hands on Lawang Pasujudan, and his mouth was apparently burbling unheard prayer and wishes. Adjacent to this area there is Pelayoman, a discharge structure for remains of Sunan's family who died. The remains will be prayed here before burial.

There is local legend that if a person intentionally or unintentionally fall asleep at Pelayoman couch, he will die, soon after he returns to his home. On the left side of this area, through Pintu Mergu (Mergu Door), there is place for Chinese descends to pray. The place was on renovation when we visited there.

Sunan Gunung Jati was born around year of 1450 from a father named Syarif Abdullah (Syekh Maulana Akbar) bin Nur Alam bin Jamaluddin Akbar from Gujarat, and a mother named Nyai Rara Santang, daughter of King Siliwangi and Nyai Subang Larang. Sunan Gunung Jati was the only Saint of Nine who spread Islam throughout West Java.

Sunan Gunung Jati had significant role in Sunda Kelapa conquest by Fatahillah on June 22th 1527. At that time, Sunda Kelapa was the only harbor city under the control of Sunda Padjajaran Kingdom. Legend has it that when the capital city of Sunda Pakuan Kingdom fell in 1568, Sunan Gunung Jati gave two choices to Pajajaran.

Dignitaries who converted to Islam would still have their powers and positions, and would remain at their respective palaces. Most of the prince and princess chose this option. Those who did not convert to Islam had to move out to Banten inland. About 40 people of commanders and troops chose to go to Cibeo and became ancestors of Baduy Dalam.